A Hope pharmacy is branching out, offering delivery of food and supplies from local vendors for a fixed fee. Pharmacy owner Osama Hana and and pharmacist assistant Jade Larmer, pictured, said the service is filling a need for seniors, for those who cannot leave their homes or lack transportation. Emelie Peacock photo

Hope pharmacy gets into delivery business

Sushi, the missing ingredients for a home cooked meal, groceries; these are some of the items Jade Larmer has delivered to the homes of Hope residents in the past few days.

A pharmacist assistant at Hope Pharmacy, Larmer is adding delivery driver to her title as the business launches HopEats. For a fixed fee of $6.99 in Hope, residents can get food from restaurants, fast food and grocery items as well as prescriptions and supplies from local stores. The delivery price rises to $7.99 in the Kawkawa Lake area, to Silver Creek the cost is $9.99.

Larmer said the service fills a need for people who don’t drive or who cannot or do not want to leave their homes.

“Whether it’s that after work exhaustion…There’s so many people here that don’t drive, they’re stuck in their homes” she said.

“Seniors, for sure,” pharmacy owner Osama Hana added, when asked who is likely to use the service. “Imagine those seniors who don’t even leave the house, now they’re going to enjoy a hot meal from their favourite pasta place.”

President of the Hope Chamber of Commerce Lloyd Forman agreed the service would be helpful for seniors. He added small businesses generally don’t face huge hurdles establishing in Hope, if people are willing to take on the challenge of running them.

“The foundational building blocks of a community are the small businesses. So I’m very happy to see that this particular small business is finding there’s another need, and that’s what you do, you step up and fill the gap,” Forman said.

Hana said he was inspired to bring the idea to Hope after using a similar service when he was in the U.S.

He saw the service creating business for people without employment. In Hope, he said it will be a cheaper alternative for home delivery.

Ohana confirmed the delivery service has been added to the pharmacy’s business license and has the correct ICBC license to run the delivery car.